Night in the Rain
by CatherineDuchessofVineyard
Summary: A chance encounter that brought two lonely souls together. AU


Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Author's Note: Please pardon the length of the story. My first story in this fandom as I just recently been part of it.

* * *

 **Night in the Rain**

He shouldn't be driving at all. Not at all, especially when he is this angry. Anger always brought the bad in people or in his case, stupid decisions bordering to insanity. It has always been like this since he was fifteen; modeled as the perfect son - perfect hair, perfect teeth and perfect complexion - perfect everything. It has been the same verbal match with the same outcome of him, not being able to do but acquiesce to his father and again be the perfect, obedient son. However, this time he had enough.

His always strict and uncompromising father, the one and only Gabriel Agreste, Paris' - and possibly the world's - most famous fashion designer, has been the reason of all this. Ever since his mother's disappearance six years ago, his father became a changed man. His protectiveness bordered on possession, that he once thought, his father saw him as something to rule over not really a son to be loved. He gave him weights more than he could carry - a privilege for many but a burden to him. With his mother gone and being the only child, all responsibilities and expectations of succeeding the business fell on him.

He was to be the next CEO of their very own fashion brand, Gabriel. As a teenager back then, he became the face of their brand, modelling clothing piece season per season, new style per new style. Now that he was fresh out of college to a course he was forced into, his father expected him to follow his tutelage. Adrien, however, feared that he would abysmally and adequately fail at it. It was not what he wanted in his life. Pushing the anger aside, he loved his father and was afraid, deep inside afraid of his father's disappointment in him. He wasn't the perfect son his father thought he was - and time and time again this became painfully obvious to Adrien.

* * *

 _"Adrien, don't walk away from this." His father's calm yet firm voice reached Adrien's ears. "Son, this is important to me, to the company, to all of us."_

 _Adrien inwardly flinched. It was a weary and old argument. He ruffled his blonde locks in desperation. "But what about what I want? What was important to me? You never even asked nor consider that I might have want something different in my life. I did everything you asked me, I modelled for you, I took up lessons and course you wanted me to, Father. Don't you think it's time for me to have some freedom? Away from this glamourous life?" Adrien tiredly replied. He is tired of everything._

 _"Well then, tell me, what is it that you want?"_

 _A lot of answers went through his head - he wanted a simple life, away from the spotlight, the cameras, and the expensive top-of-the-line clothes. He wanted to explore the world, discover its treasures. He wanted to have a friend - a friend that truly likes him as him, not just because he has all the money. He wanted to redo his education and work somewhere far away from France - and the list goes on but he wasn't able to reply. Yes, he wanted all those things but he felt none of it will fill the gap he has in his heart for years. He clenched his fist tight and kept his mouth closed._

 _"See, you don't even know what is it that you want, Adrien. I know this is a lot to take but that is why I groomed you to be perfect at everything. The sooner you accept this, the happier we'll be."_

 _Adrien silently fumed. "Wrong answer, Father." He thought, before storming out of the room, ignoring the calls of his father's executive assistant, Nathalie. With tears blurring his eyes, a mind being addled by anger, he let his feet carried him to the garage. Seeing the countless exorbitant cars at his disposal just made him even more angry. He blindly chose amongst the sea of cars and pushed the car ignition, letting it roar before speeding out of there. Not caring to where he was going or the completely deserted street of Paris as the storm crashed on his car's windows._

* * *

He turned around the tight corner, the wheels skidding on the soaking wet and loose surface. He tightened his hold on the steering wheel, trying to calm down. He knew what he was doing was reckless; he could barely see lanes in front of him and not just because of his tears and anger blinding him but also the brewing storm. However, he needed to get away from his father, away from everything he knew. This brash behavior was also new but he welcomed it, feeling free for once, even the danger it might brought him.

The weather turned for the worse. The harsh storm dropped by Paris and decided to say hello by trying to wash away its beauty. He embraced the rain though, he thought it was perfect for his tormented soul, mind and body, and the thunder and howling winds whispered to his anguished and aching heart.

He hated this place. Everyone seems eager to live or visit the world's center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture - Paris. They all thought of it as beautiful and elegant, the ostensibly Utopia. However, for Adrien, it's all just lies, a facade to bury the roaring ugly truth of it. He hated what Paris seems to portray to the world, especially the fashion side of it. His life started there and probably would end there also. His father was not a stupid, ignorant man. There were competitors, a lot of them actually, but his father conquered them all, staying on top.

Gabriel was a kind company to its people and to all Parisian. They never forgot to pay homage. They donated millions of money to charities and such, continuously helping the less fortunate, gave out scholarships to countless students and a lot more social responsibilities. Even with these good reasons, Adrien didn't want to be next head of their company. Call him stupid and selfish, but he didn't want a life where people look up to him for something he was not.

He pressed his foot harder against the gas pedal, engine responding to his needs. He could barely see the speedometer going past 100mph as tears keep blurring his emerald eyes. The picturesque street even under the storm were lit, like a beacon of hope in darkness but the harsh wind and rain drowned it all. He squinted his eyes to look at the street ahead and sped more - that was when his world and heart froze, he barely saw the traffic light ahead turned red and a silver car stopped. He instantly pressed the brake pedal and abruptly turned the steering wheel to the side but due to his speed he was far too late. The last he heard was the tire screeching and his world turned black.

* * *

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, first year medical student, groaned at her biology book, slamming her face down on the hard surface. It was past eight in the evening yet she was still in the library. It was only her first month in medical school when her professors thought that it was fun to give out exams already. Graduating college as a BS Medical Biology major just this last summer, she was luckily and thankfully succeeded in entering a medical school - but it was already catching up on her. She was not really suited in methodical and logical thinking, she was more of an arts, planning and creation type of person. In fact, as far as she can remember, her dream consisted of becoming a fashion designer and make a living from her passion and establish a fashion line. But now, all of her sketches, pads, pens, fabric and sewing kit were locked up in some storage back at her parents' home, accumulating dust. Her face turned sour with the stream of thoughts and memories resurfacing. She huffed loudly, patted her cheeks to keep her away and memories at bay. She was about to go back to studying when her eyes glanced at the old ladybug phone charm, lying innocently beside her notebook.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tikki."

* * *

 _Marinette's fifteenth birthday was far by the best of all. Her parents agreed to celebrate her birthday with friends on the beach, just like what her best friend, Alya, planned, but that wasn't the reason why. The following night, upon returning home, she was greeted by her parents and a five year old redhead child in their living room._

 _"Surprise!"_

 _With her eyes wide, she looked at the three people looking at her in excitement. "Mama? Papa?"_

 _"You always said that you wanted a sibling so...meet Therese Dupain-Cheng, your younger sister." Her mother replied and give little Therese a push towards Marinette._

 _With a big smile on her face, she crouched down and hugged the girl. "Therese, huh? How about I call you, Tikki?"_

 _The little girl smiled widely at her. "I like Tikki!"_

 _"Tikki is it then!"_

 _They were inseparable; they do everything together and as an aspiring fashion designer, she often design and make Tikki's clothes, much to the excitement and happiness of their parents and Tikki, herself. Marinette taught her a lot of things, she shared all her secrets to her dearest sister, it was like Tikki was her personal, living and adorable diary._

 _"Isn't he cute, Tikki?" Marinette swooned, hugging the new edition of Vogue magazine close to her chest, featuring her celebrity crush, Adrien Agreste._

 _Tikki looked up from her plate of cookies. "I am cuter!"_

 _Marinette giggled and ruffled Tikki's hair. "Of course you are, you're my sister after all."_

 _Two whole perfect months upon the arrival of little miss ball of sunshine to the Dupain-Cheng household was one the reasons that her parents managed to save up enough money to for a quick getaway for their twentieth anniversary. They thought it was a blessing in disguise that it was a La Toussaint - a two week holiday and also Marinette just recovered from a flu. She insisted that her parents needed a break and convinced them that she can take care of Tikki for one whole week. It was then that turned it to a holiday to remember but not in a very good way. Tikki caught the flu, forcing their parents to return five days early. However, days followed but it seemed that Tikki was far from getting better. They had her checked just to find out that her flu developed into pneumonia and it didn't helped at all that she had a weak immune system to begin with. They did everything they can to make her feel better, but in the end she was taken away from them forever._

 _"It's all my fault. I must've passed my flu to her. Now, she's - Tikki's -" Marinette sobbed against her mother's hug. Since then, she blamed herself for what happened to her sister and vowed to help all the sick children as to not let their family felt what they had._

* * *

Marinette shook her head, squashing the oncoming depressing thoughts once again. She quickly tidied up her things and went out of the library. Running towards her car under the heavy rain, she decided to sleep at her parents' house instead of the student dorms.

Halfway towards their house, she got stopped by a red light. Her silver car shining brightly on the vast darkness around her, when suddenly the sound of screeching tires invaded her ears. She abruptly look at her rear-view mirror. Even with the heavy rain, she can clearly see a car toppled over and over again until it came to a halting stop, upside down.

With trembling hands, she unbuckled the seatbelt and fished her phone out of her bag. She called an ambulance and police to help the victim inside the trashed car.

"Oh my gosh." She muttered upon approaching the car. She can hear her heart hammering inside her chest, she badly wanted to help now, but with her muddled mind and scared heart that it might make it worse, she waited. Seconds turned to minutes before she heard the familiar sirens of the ambulance and the police indicating their arrival.

A hand landed on her shoulders and she looked abruptly at the owner to see the familiar face of her former classmate Sabrina's dad.

"What happened here?"

"I - uh, I don't know. I was stopped there when I heard a screeching sound and when I - looked up, I just saw this car, rolling and rolling until it stopped." Marinette replied, her eyes not leaving the paramedics trying to get inside the car to help, but they were two burly men and can't fit to enter the car.

"We can't fit through in there, we already call the fire department to help but we have to act quickly or it might be too late."

Maybe it was the cold from the pelting rain or the earlier bleak memories or possibly she was just going crazy but she blurted out that she can probably help. "I'll go. I think, I can fit through there."

They all looked at her with scowls on their faces but before one of the paramedics rejected her idea, she intervened again. "I'm a medical student, I think-I know enough first aid and if not -you can tell me. There's not much time left, right?"

They begrudgingly affirm her notions and gave her a bag with first aid kits they usually carry. They quickly briefed her on what to do and what not to do.

"The driver is conscious but in a lot of pain, he seems lucid enough, make him talk."

She nodded, approaching the car with all the nervousness in the world, at the same time assessing the situation; the front end was completely smashed that she'd have to go through the back by climbing one of the broken windows. She walked to the rear end of the vehicle and grabbed the handle of the mangled passenger door, using it as a leverage as she launched herself to the ground. She threw the bag inside first before fully dropping to her knees and crawled into the wreckage.

"Hey, be careful, don't hurt yourself." A soft, tired voice wheezed out at her from front of the car and she had to resist the urge to laugh. This guy had the audacity to tell her to be careful when he got himself in this situation.

"It's - uh, okay. Just take it easy, I'm here to help. I'm a medical student that happened to witness this and decided to help." She replied, putting the bag on the floor before hauling herself towards the passenger seat. She paused for a second to catch her bearings and to calm her screaming heart. Finally, she shifted her gaze to her supposedly first patient and her breath got caught in her throat.

He was lying on a pool of blood and broken glass, the roof his expensive car became a very uncomfortable bed. He managed to release his seatbelt but the front door was badly damaged for him to open the door and his numerous wounds and pain prevented him to crawl to the back of the car.

But, it wasn't the pained look on his face that got to her, nor was it the deathly pale skin of his. No, it was because she knew him all too well. Countless days and nights went to her devotion of looking through pages of glossy magazines and surfing on the internet about this guy. If the circumstances were totally different from where they were in, she would have fainted right on the spot as it was none other than her long time crush, Adrien Agreste. The one and only heir to her favorite fashion brand, son of her favorite fashion designer. This guy is practically and by all-rights a prince, but why was he have the look on his face just like the world has ended?

Nonetheless, he was beautiful - even bloodied, golden hair messy and flattened against his skull and matted by his own blood. His skin was flawless except for the cuts and blood, his shoulders were broad and defined, lean muscles visible through his ripped black leather jacket.

But now was not the time to admire this beauty in front of her, now she has all the more reasons to help and save him. Her gaze suddenly deepened at glanced at his hands upon noticing the grimace on his face. Her eyes widened even more and her heart almost stopped when she saw his fingers tightened around the sharp metal shard pressed into his stomach. She looked back up and their eyes met, the world slowing as they did.

He wasn't aware that much, just the sound of the sirens and a man's voice that help was coming. He felt a wretched ache in his stomach and he just knew something pierced him and he couldn't pull it out, lest he wanted to die. He managed to release his seatbelt only to land on a pile of glass shards and mangled dashboard, his whole body screaming in pain.

Time seemed to really hate him as it stand still amidst the pain and agony, he thought. Before he heard a new female voice. A female paramedic or an angel to take him away forever, he wasn't sure. He was vaguely aware when he felt he was not alone anymore, and this angel with bright blue eyes filled his heart with warmth that he thought for sure all the pain he was feeling would vanish.

"Can you tell me your name?" She asked, her voice sweet and soft to his aching form. Strands of her midnight blue hair clung to her face as her hands delicately checked his pulse.

"And here I thought of all Paris knows my name." He can barely register the roll of her eyes.

"Standard procedure, I guess."

"The name's Adrien, m'lady." He squeezed out, stiffening lightly, he wasn't quite sure if it was because of her close proximity or from the pain all over him. He just couldn't believe that his luck is really on the bad side, he was probably going to die and he'd just met the woman he apparently can call the most important person in his life. He never believe in love at first sight, not until this very moment. He thought that if his father asked him now what did he really want in his life, he could and would answer in a blink of an eye, that he would've want to spend the rest of his life with this girl.

"Okay, uh - Adrien, can you tell me what happened?" She asked, pulling out an oxygen mask out of her bag.

"Speeding, couldn't stop, car flipped in the rain." His answer was short and his lungs were straining for air.

"I'm going to put this on you, okay? It'll help you breathe better, okay, Adrien?"

He nodded and watched her worked. She was not a paramedic yet her hands moved methodically as she dressed her wounds.

Her eyes glancing at him, softly reassuring him. "You're doing great, Adrien but you lost a lot of blood and you need a surgery to remove this shrapnel. Now, I know nothing much but I am guessing that you have a collapsed lung and concussion, so no more jokes, okay, Adrien? Please?"

He nodded. "How old are you?" Wanting to know more about her if this would be the last time he will see her.

"I'm twenty-two, just like you. Why are speeding in this weather, anyway?"

He knew she was trying to keep him awake and conscious, so he wouldn't fall asleep and never wake up.

"Away. My father, the company, everything. I -uh, I can't be what they wanted me to be." He replied quietly, his head resting on the ruined steering wheel. He can see hundreds of questions in her eyes. Why would he want to run away from his perfect life, but she didn't voiced it out instead, she smiled brightly at him

"Well, when you get better, tell your father what you feel and what is it what you really wanted. Don't live your life for someone else, it's your life after all."

He was about to reply when a new, loud siren startled them. Her face suddenly filled with relief.

"They're here, Adrien! The fire department is here to get you out and then we'll bring you to the hospital, okay? Just hang in there with me, Adrien." She exclaimed, slightly moving away. His hand snapped towards her wrist, clutching it tightly.

"Don't leave me, please." She glanced down at his bloodied fingers and put her hands on top of it, looking straight at his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

Several long minutes later, he was freed from that contraption of hell and the paramedics didn't question her when she climbed inside the ambulance with them. They were already hurrying towards the hospital, fleeting passed the Parisian night they were nearly there, just a few more minutes to arrive at the hospital, but it was when it turned for the worse. The shrapnel moved and slipped out of his stomach with a pained shout.

"No! Be careful!" She shouted, pressing her hand on the flowing wounds on Adrien's stomach. Her eyes now filled with tears at his blurry sight. "Faster! Please!

"Come on, Adrien, stay with me here." She pleaded, ignoring the paramedics doing everything they can just so he can reach the hospital alive. He tried to focus his attention to her; his angel, his princess.

"You know, you're really beautiful, m'lady." He practically slurred, wincing at how stupid and lame it sounded. He wanted to be romantic, to say at the least, but it was hard thing to do when his bleeding his guts out.

With a pink tinge all over her face, she managed to croak out a small thank you, her body and mind jumping to the change of thought just to keep himself lucid.

"If - If I make it out of here alive, I'd really like to buy you a coffee." His hand found hers and clasped it tightly as he can. She stiffened at his statement, her whole body growing cold.

" _When_ you recover, come and find me and I'll let you take me out for a coffee." A pained smile appeared on both of their faces.

With the last of his strength, he asked. "What's your name, then?"

"Marinette - Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

And that was the last he heard.

* * *

Six months has passed since that night in the rain, when Marinette met her long-time crush in a way she hoped would never happen again. She thought it was just a childish crush blooming from his handsome face but it was much more than that. Upon meeting him, even in the worse way possible, something tugged in her heart. From the voice that rang in her ears when he tried to lighten the mood in that unfortunate situation, to the way he pleaded not to leave his side, she fell in love with him. But, it was all in the past now, it was not meant to be, it's time to move on now. Coming from a rich family, no one heard anything from Adrien Agreste after Paris' media reported his accident. A lot of speculations circulated but none of it was able to soothe her aching heart.

She took her own advice to him; that no one can live his life but him. She realized that even though she really wanted to help sick children, she was being hurdled by the past. It was like she's letting the death of her sister took control of her life and knowing the sweet Tikki, she wouldn't want that. So, she dropped out of medical school and pursued fashion just like what she always dreamed off. Thankfully, her talents remained and that helped her land an internship at Gabriel Agreste's fashion line, Gabriel. It really was a dream come true.

She looked up from her desk and noticed the day was nearly over. She gather her things, tidied up her desk before bidding goodbyes to her co-interns and superiors on their way home. Walking down on the marbled floor of Gabriel's headquarters, it amazed her how life seemed to go quickly, each day passing by in a blink of your eyes.

Going through the main glass doors to welcome the late afternoon of Paris, her eyes caught sight of what was in front of her; she dropped her bag upon seeing the tall, lithe and smiling form of Adrien Agreste. He walked towards her and handed her a bouquet of bluebells.

"So, coffee?"

Marinette startled him when she threw her hands around his neck and whispered in his ears. "I'd love too."

* * *

 **A/N:** ...and that's done, and I just did do that.


End file.
